Tough Little Girl
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Casey deals with the aftermath of being raped.
1. Chapter One

TOUGH LITTLE GIRL

DISCLAIMER

Sequel to "Secrets And Lies", and takes place a few months after the events in the story. Sam and Casey are still dating, but the relationship's strained. Belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. I know I have the wrong name for the school, but I'm trying to keep things in continuity. I will be introducing a "No touch/ask before touching" rule involving Casey later in the story and got it from a story called "Broken Angel" by Daisyangel, and the idea for that belongs to them. They have graciously allowed me to use it in this story.

CHAPTER ONE

Casey MacDonald walked through the halls of J. Thompson High and headed for her locker. Without looking at anybody, she spun the dial, put her current books away, and then got some others. Then, she sighed and walked to her next class, which was English. Her boyfriend, Sam Travers, watched as she walked in. He frowned at her slightly dejected expression. Though she had initially seemed to be dealing with her rape just fine, in the progressing months, Casey had become a mere shadow of her former self. He didn't like it. He wanted the real Casey back: the one who was vibrant and expressive. The one who overanalyzed every single thing he said. Not this hollowed out shell that had taken her place. The teacher came and immediately started the session, forcing the boy to turn his attention away from his girlfriend. Casey forced herself to pay attention to the lecture. All she wanted to really do was run and hide. It was like everyone was staring at her. She hated it. She didn't need everyone looking at her like she was some sort of freak. She bit her lip and forced herself to concentrate on the teacher. She just needed to focus. To be the keener and grade-grubber everybody was used to. Then everyone would forget what had happened. Yeah, that would be good. No one would know how weak she really was.

_**"Tell no one."**_ She jumped slightly, hearing Brent Hartwood's voice, but shook it off. Everything was fine now. It was over. He couldn't hurt anybody else like he had hurt her. Finally, the class was over. She stood up, quickly gathered up her books, and headed for her next class. Emily glanced over at her friend. Was she all right? Casey could feel her friend staring, but ignored her. She just wanted to be left alone. The rest of the day was pretty much the same, Casey would go to her classes, but keep to herself. At the end of the day, she headed for the parking lot. Sam ran to catch up with her.

"Casey! Can I give you a ride?" he asked.

"Sure. I've got counseling today," she responded.

"All right. I'll take you," he said. They walked to his car, where he held open the door and waited for her to get in. Then, he went to the driver's side and sat down, put the key in the ignition, turned on the car, and then drove off. When he got there, he parked.

"You want me to pick you up later?" he questioned.

"Yeah, that'd be great," she told him. She left the car and went inside.

"Oh, hey, Casey," one of the counselors, Jason Stewart, greeted, as he kept his rhythm on the punching bag hanging from the ceiling.

"Hey, Jason," she acknowledged.

"That time already?" he queried.

"I'll get Melissa," he said.

"Thanks," she responded and leaned against the wall, watching him. When Mom and George had first suggested counseling, Casey had been completely against it, saying that she was fine and that she didn't want to go into some place where the therapist would give out lame platitudes. However, she had changed her mind when she had met Melissa Channing at the Here To Help Crisis Center, a place that doubled as a counseling center and therapeutic gym. The woman was warm, friendly, and let Casey talk at her own pace. Plus, the place was casual, and the kids were able to work out their issues in various ways. The only thing that bugged Casey was that Melissa kept wanting to rehash what they had already talked about for three months now. Couldn't she tell it was time to move on already? A few minutes later, the woman came out.

"Our room's ready, Casey," she told her.

"Great," the girl said and followed the woman into the room. Melissa waited until Casey was sitting comfortably on the couch.

"So, how was your week?"

"It was good."

"No flashbacks?"

"Some. But, it's no big deal. I can handle them." Melissa frowned. She liked Casey, she did, but the girl wouldn't open up. Oh, she had talked about the rape, but in technical terms.

"I'm sure you can." Then, "Now, Casey, how are you really holding up?"

"Everything's fine. It's been three months since Brett violated me and now I'm moving on."

"Are you really? Because it doesn't seem like we're making any progress."

"What do you mean? We talk about it all the time."

"Yes, but Casey, you're always very technical and analytical when you talk about it. I don't know what it made you feel like," Melissa pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is just accepting that it happened to me and moving on," Casey responded.

"And have you---accepted it, that is?" Melissa queried.

"Of course," Casey responded. "Look, you know what? This is ridiculous. We're just going over the same old thing. I give up." With that, Casey stood up and stormed out of the room. Jason, who was holding the punching bag for a girl around Casey's age, paused momentarily to watch.

"Oh boy," he sighed as Casey dialed a number on her cell phone. Melissa came out of her office and watched as the girl finished her phone conversation. "Keep practicing," he told the girl, and then jogged up to his friend.

"I take it things didn't go well."

"Not at all." They watched as a few minutes later, a car pulled up, Casey got in, and then they drove away.


	2. Chapter Two

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. I only own the plot. To refresh your memories, the switching of Derek and Casey's rooms happened in my one-shot "Darkest Night". I **do** switch POVs in the middle of the chapter, so I apologize in advance for any confusion. This is the chapter in which the "Don't touch unless given permission" angle comes to play and belongs to Daisyangel who has graciously let me use it.

In his room, which had once been Casey's, Derek winced when he heard the door slam. Casey was back early…which meant that she had refused to talk again. _Man, why won't she open up?_ he wondered, running his fingers through his hair. She acted like everything was fine, but everything wasn't fine. He knew she was still having nightmares…even if she wasn't coming to him anymore. He left his room and went to hers, where he knocked on the door.

"Come in," she invited, and he opened the door.

"I'm guessing things didn't go so well today," he stated.

"They want me to talk about it when I **have** been talking about it," she told him. He stared at her.

"**How** have you been talking about it?"

"You know, I describe what happened."

"Oh, you mean you go into keener mode."

"Der-ek!"

"Sorry." He held up his hands in a placating manner. "I just meant that you go over the technical details, but you don't say how you're feeling about it."

"It happened. It bites, but you survive and move on."

"But how can you survive and move on when you won't say what it felt like being raped?" Casey froze. There it was: the 'R' word. The word that was supposed to be unspoken in the MacDonald/Venturi household.

"Derek," Casey said in annoyance.

"I'm going to put my hand on your arm, is that all right?" Derek questioned, remembering what Casey's counselor had told them about not touching her without her consent. She nodded and he put his hand on her arm. "Case, you're not going to heal if you don't really talk about it."

"But if I talk about it…it makes it real…and I don't want that." She sniffled and then swiped her eyes. "Sorry. I know you don't do crying."

"This is different. This is serious. Cry all you want." And he meant it. He wanted her to show some emotions again. She had to deal with this. Meanwhile, Melissa was at her desk, frowning and drumming her fingers on the wood. Presently, her door opened to reveal Jason.

"Thinkin' about Casey?" he guessed.

"I wish she'd talk to me," she responded.

"Yeah, I saw her storm out," he commented. Then, "You know, maybe you should try a different tactic."

"Like what?"

"Put her in my self-defense class." Melissa hesitated. On the one hand, she wanted to continue speaking with Casey to see if she could get some more progress, but on the other hand, if one strategy wasn't working, it would probably be best to try something else. After all, it didn't matter **how** Casey opened up, as long as she did it. Plus, Casey and Jason had developed a certain rapport with each other, and she always acted comfortable around him. Maybe it'd be a good idea.

"I'd have to talk with her parents."

"Of course."

"Yeah, I think you're right. I'll pay the Venturis a visit in a couple of days, that way Casey has had some time to cool down."

"Good idea." Then, Jason left the office. Melissa blew out a breath. _I hope this will work. Because so far, nothing else is_, she thought.


	3. Chapter Three

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. The rule about not touching Casey without her consent is from the fic "Broken Angel" by Daisyangel who has graciously given me permission to use it. Since Casey's been in counseling for a few months, I figured Melissa probably would've met the rest of her family by now.

Two days had passed since Casey's last counseling session and she hadn't mentioned going back, which worried Derek. He didn't want her to shut down. She needed to talk about this. In her room, Casey stared at the ceiling. She didn't know what to do. She just couldn't get the images of Brent out of her head, no matter how hard she analyzed everything. Intellectually, she knew that she should be over this by now. It had been three months and the boy who had made life a nightmare for her was gone. She had nothing to fear. So, then why was this jerk still haunting her? _Okay Casey. Just be rational. Brent's in jail. He can't hurt you_, she coached herself. If she could just remember that, everything would be okay. Presently, she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in," she invited. The door opened to reveal Derek.

"Hey," he greeted, stepping through the doorway. She gave him a soft smile. "So…are you going to go back?" She shook her head. He sighed disapprovingly.

"Casey."

"Well, what's the use? I'm just rehashing stuff I've already been over. There's no point." The boy ran his fingers through his hair. _ What's up with this? This isn't like her_, he thought to himself. Why was she fighting this? It didn't make sense. Just then, the doorbell rang. _Huh? It's Saturday, and as far as I know, Dad and Nora aren't expecting anyone_, Derek thought again. Curious, he opened the door.

"Oh. Hi, Ms. Channing," he greeted in surprise.

"It's 'Melissa' and hello to you too, Derek," the woman responded. "Are your parents here?"

"Yeah, they're in the kitchen." She went into the kitchen where George and Nora were sitting at the table.

"Melissa, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Nora wondered.

"Mr. and Mrs. Venturi, I've been talking with Casey for a wile now, and it's become obvious that we're no longer getting anywhere. She won't tell me how she's feeling about being raped, she just talks about it in technical details, which isn't helping her to heal," the other woman stated. Nora sighed.

"So, what should we do?"

"Why don't you let her join Jason's self-defense class?" The two stared.

"I don't know," Nora hesitated.

"Casey seems to be comfortable around Jason, and she doesn't flinch or tense up when he touches her. I think this could be good for her," Melissa responded. George and Nara looked at each other.

"What do you think, Georgie?" Nora wondered.

"If she's comfortable with him, I don't see why not," George answered. Just then, they heard footsteps from the stairs and Casey turned to walk into the kitchen.

"What's going on here?" she wondered.

"Casey, I have a suggestion, if you don't mind," Melissa told her.

"Whatever," Casey shrugged. Melissa blew out a breath.

"Casey, it's obvious we're not getting anywhere in our sessions. I mean, you don't want to talk, and I can't force you---" she began.

"What are you getting at?" Casey interrupted.

"Casey, I think you should join Jason' self-defense class," Melissa told her. Casey stared. _Okay. Gotta admit…wasn't expecting that one_, she thought to herself.

"I don't know," she hesitated.

"Of course, if you're not comfortable with him," Melissa began.

"No, it's not that," Casey was quick to say. "But doesn't he already have a full class?"

"It was his idea."

"Oh." Casey bit her lower lip. Should she do it? After all, like Melissa said, they weren't really getting anywhere. Besides, Jason didn't have a tendency to push things.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" she shrugged. It'd be better than always fighting with Melissa.

"Okay. I'll let him know for his next class," the woman stated. They all said their goodbyes and the woman walked to the door and out of the house. As she drove away, she dialed a number and then put her phone on speaker.

"Yeah?" she heard Jason ask.

"She said yes. Do you have room in your next class?" she queried.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

"Okay, then." She hung up and continued driving. _Man, I hope this works out_, she thought to herself.


	4. Chapter Four

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Writingnut2010: Hey, thanks for being my first review. Thanks. Here's more. Glad to hear it.

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. I only own the plot. Remember, the "No touching" rule comes from the fic "Broken Angel" by Daisyangel and is used with permission.

A few days later, Casey found herself back at the Here To Help Crisis Center. She lined up with a group of other kids for Jason's beginners' self-defense class and she soon lost herself in the instructions. As he taught the class, Jason kept a subtle eye on Casey. He'd have to remember to be careful. She was new to this, and not used to the rigorous training. Noting that her stance was just a bit off, he walked up to her.

"Casey, your stance is a bit off, is it okay if I correct it?" he queried.

"Yes," she answered, and he pushed her legs a bit farther apart and then pulled her arms higher so that the stance was correct. Then, he continued. Casey's brows furrowed. _Why do I trust him so much? How does he make me feel so safe when not even my own boyfriend has that ability?_ she wondered. She gave herself a mental shake and focused on Jason's commands. About two hours later, they were done. As they went through the cool down, Casey let out a sigh. _This was actually pretty cool_, she thought as she went to the entrance and checked for Sam's car. Melissa walked up to Jason.

"Well, it seems like you're off to a good start," she stated.

"Seems like it. We'll just have to see how things progress," he responded. Then, there was the sound of an engine and they turned to watch as Casey's boyfriend came driving up. He parked the car, and then walked up to her.

"Hey, Case," he greeted.

"Hi, Sam," she replied.

"Is it all right if I take your hand?"

"Yes." He did so, and they took off. As Sam drove her home, Casey's mind drifted to the self-defense class. It had been pretty cool. Presently, she became aware of Sam speaking to her.

"I'm sorry. I zoned out. What did you say?" she asked.

"I said, 'How as counseling'?" he repeated.

"I actually did something a little different today," she told him.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I joined Jason's self-defense class."

"Jason. He's one of the counselors there, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, how was the class then?"

"It was good. I didn't have to rehash stuff I had already been over." Sam fell silent. He wasn't sure how to respond to that. A big part of him wished Casey would get back to normal, but the more rational side knew that it was going to take time and that she couldn't be pushed. The rest of the ride was silent, and he stopped at her house.

"Thanks for the ride, Sam," she said, and squeezed his wrist. Then, she darted in. Sam sighed. He didn't know what to do. She wasn't talking to him. In fact, as far as he could tell, she wasn't talking to anybody. He drummed his fingers on the wheel and then drove to his house.

"So, how'd counseling go?" Derek wondered.

"I did something new today---joined Jason's self-defense class. It was pretty cool," Casey responded.

"Well, that's good," Derek said. _ Maybe the class will be good her---make her feel confident again_, he thought to himself. Maybe if she felt more confident in herself, it would encourage her to open up about the rape.

"Yeah, I guess," she said. Before they could say any more, their parents came in.

"Dinner," Nora said. They went to the table and sat down. For a few minutes, the only sound was chewing and casual conversation.

"So Casey, how was it today?" Nora asked.

"It went well," Casey responded. "I really enjoyed the class. I want to do it some more," she continued.

"What class?" Lizzie and Edwin wondered.

"I joined Jason's self-defense class," Casey answered.

"Is it hard?" Marti asked.

"Kind of hard," Casey replied.

"Will it make you stop having nightmares?" Marti continued. Everyone froze.

"I---I don't know, Marti. I hope so," Casey finally answered.

"Me and Daphne hope so too. She misses your laugh," Marti commented. The table fell quiet. _Wow. I didn't realize I was affecting everyone so much_, Casey thought to herself. After dinner, Casey went up to her room and started doing her homework. However, Marti's words kept running through her head. Finally, she put her pencil down and propped her head in her chin. _I miss my laugh too, Marti. I just haven't felt much like laughing these days_, she thought to herself. She sighed and ran absently drummed her fingers on the desk, deep in thought. Then, tears began streaming down her cheeks.


	5. Chapter Five

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Nightcrawlerlover: thanks. I will.

BadassSlayergirl: Thanks. Yes, it is. Okey-dokey.

Dramacrazed101: That's okay. As long as you're reading. Exactly. Thanks. Okey-dokey.

DISCLAIMER

LWD belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. The rule of "no touching without consent" is from the fic "Broken Angel" and belongs to Daisyangel who has graciously let me borrow it. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize.

After Casey's first self-defense class, things progressed slowly. She still wasn't talking about the rape, but something had been sparked in her that hadn't been there for a long time. Sam was the first to notice a few weeks later.

"Hey, something's different," he said one day at lunch.

"No, not really," Casey disagreed.

"Yeah, there is," Emily agreed. "I know what it is: you're starting to enjoy things again," she continued.

"Yeah, that's it. You've got that spark back in your eye," Sam agreed as Derek came up just in time to hear the last part of the remark.

"So who's sparking?" he asked.

"Apparently, **I** am," his stepsister responded. He chuckled.

"You **have** seemed to be getting happier," he commented.

"I don't know about that, but…the nightmares have faded somewhat," she told them.

"That's good," her friends approved. She allowed a ghost of a smile, and then focused on her food. After lunch, they went to their classes. Casey bit her lip in concentration as she took notes. She chuckled softly at something the teacher said. Hearing the sound, Sam looked in her direction. _That's a great sound_, he thought to himself, allowing a smile. He liked it when Casey laughed, and for a long time now, he had missed it. After the bell rang, they dispersed and went to separate classes. Casey listened to the lecture, making sure to jot down the key concepts. After their last class, they all went home.

"So, these classes, do you like them?" Derek wondered.

"Yeah, they're really cool. And Jason's really great," Casey answered. "I feel so safe with him...not even Sam has me feeling that way."

"Yeah, why is that?"

"I---I don't know." Derek fell silent. From their talks, he knew Sam was torn. On the hand, he was happy that Casey was feeling safe with someone, but on the other hand, he couldn't stop feeling hurt that that someone wasn't him. But he would never say that to her. He didn't want to undo all of the progress she had made.

"Is something on your mind, Derek?" He shook his head.

"I'm just glad to see you livin' again." Casey rolled her eyes but smiled. Soon, the rest of the family came through the door.

"Hey, guys," Casey greeted, turning to them with a smile. Almost immediately, Marti barreled towards her and wrapped her waist in a hug.

"Whoa. I think we got the first female football player here," Casey joked, bending down to pick her up.

"You're smiling for real again," Marti announced happily.

"Yeah, she sure is," Derek agreed. Marti happily wrapped her arms around Casey's neck. _She's smiling. Casey's smiling again_, she thought to herself. She had missed that smile. Ever since she had been hurt, the smile had disappeared. But now it was back. Derek had to smile at his younger sister's enthusiasm. Marti pulled Casey up the stairs, saying something about Daphne and "dress up" and he rolled his eyes. _Better her than me_, he thought to himself. Then, he settled in his seat, turned on a game, and smiled as he heard Casey's occasional laughter. Things were slowly getting better.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I've hit a case of writer's block with this fic plus I'm in school, so updates may not prompt. I'll do my best to be semi-soon though.


	6. Chapter Six

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. The "Don't touch without consent" rule is from the fic "Broken Angels" and belongs to Daisyangel who has given me permission to use it. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. This takes place one day after the last chap. I know the memories are disjointed, but they're supposed to be.

The next day, Casey let out a kia as she kicked the target. Then, she started punching. Jason walked around, keeping an eye on the class. Seeing Casey working with her partner, he let his lips curve into a smile. She was getting mentally stronger. She didn't look so haunted and actually laughed more. Now if only he and Melissa could get her to talk. He gave a command and they came to attention.

"All right everyone, take a five minute break and then take turns practicing these moves on each other and the punching bag," he instructed.

"But not at the same time," a boy said. Everyone laughed.

"No. Not at the same time," Jason agreed. The kids took the five minutes to get drinks of water, go to the bathroom, and talk to each other. Then, they came back and did as Jason had instructed. This went on for several minutes. Casey was in the middle of a punching combination when the memories hit. _**Casey took her shirt off and went to grab another one that was hanging from the closet. Her door opened. "**__**Hey, what do you---" her enraged question died as Brent shut the door and then pushed her onto her bed and straddled **_her. _**"What are--get off! Stop! Stop! Don't!" her pleas turned into sobs.**_ The punches came harder and faster. _**Brent threw his head back and laughed as she desperately clawed at him, trying to shake him**_ off.

"Casey! Casey!" someone shouted. They grabbed the bag to keep it from shaking. _**Brent pinned her arms above her head.**_ She punched the bag again. And again. And again. She kept punching until she started to lose steam. Holding the punching bag, Jason watched in concern as her eyes began to water. _Man, she's about to break_, he thought to himself.

"It wasn't---right. It wasn't---fair. I---what he---I---he raped me!" she exclaimed. "Dang it! He raped me! He made me feel like trash! Like I was nothing!" The other kids in the self-defense class watched in silence. "He raped me! He **raped** me!" The tears fell harder as she approached him until they were almost touching. Understanding what she wanted, he wrapped his arms around her and made little shushing noises as she cried. Having heard the commotion, Melissa came out of her office and watched as Casey had broken down. Then, she saw the girl allow her instructor wrap her in a hug. _Oh, Casey. Honey. You're finally letting yourself feel_, the woman thought to herself. This realization brought a sense of relief to the woman. True, Casey hadn't opened up to her. But at least she had opened up. At last, she could finally start to really heal.


	7. Chapter Seven

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Phoenix9648: Yeah, I thought it was finally time for her to break. Don't worry. I understood. Hope this is soon enough.

Writingnut2010: Thanks. Okay, I will.

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. The rule about not touching without consent comes from the fic "Broken Angel" by Daisyangel who has given me permission to use it. After this fic, I'll only upload fics that are complete.

After she was completely cried out, Jason allowed Casey to be excused from the rest of the class to talk with Melissa.

"I just---I just that if I dealt with it in the same way I normally deal with things, it'd be easier to handle, but I think I just made it harder. I can---I can barely let my boyfriend touch me. And I know that hurts him. He's been so great and he's trying to be supportive, but I'm not making it easy," she said.

"Casey, none of this is your fault. And so you shut down, don't blame yourself for that. You responded in the only way you knew how," the woman reminded.

"Yeah, I know. It's just so hard to talk about this," Casey stated.

"Why do you think that is?" Melissa questioned.

"Because I've always been in control---no matter what I was doing. And when I was raped---" Casey's voice trailed off.

"You weren't in control anymore," Melissa finished.

"No. I wasn't. And that scared me. I---I didn't want my friends to think that I was weak. I mean, when it first happened---and after he was arrested and everything---I was able to function. You know, I was acting normal. And then---I guess---it just hit me," Casey said.

"A delayed reaction," Melissa commented.

"Yeah," Casey agreed. "Then it was like---I could barely do **anything**. My grades dropped, I pulled away from my boyfriend. That really wasn't fair to him," she continued, looking at her hands. "I just---I don't know what to do!"

"We take this one day at a time. No one's expecting you to get over the rape just like that," Melissa said with a snap of her fingers.

"Really?"

"Really." Casey bit her lip. _I don't know. It's been months now_, she thought to herself.

"What are you thinking?"

"It's been months since the rape. I **should** be over it."

"But you've just finally confronted your feelings about it. So in a way, it's like it's just happened." Casey nodded. That made sense. They continued to talk until their allotted time. Then, Casey stood up and walked back to the entrance where Sam always picked her up. she only had to wait a few minutes before he showed up.

"Hey, Sam," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey. **There**'**s** that smile," he noted. She rolled her eyes as he reached over and opened the car door for her. As he drove away, she did something that both surprised and pleased him: she put her hand on his arm.


	8. Chapter Eight

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Writingnut2010: Yeah, I figured it was time. Hope this is soon enough.

Dramacrazed101: Yeah, I figured it was time. No, its not. Hope this is soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize.

When they arrived at her house, instead of merely exiting the car and going in as she usually did, Casey unfastened her seatbelt and turned to Sam.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"For…what?" he questioned in confusion. _What is she apologizing for? She has nothing to be sorry about_, he thought to himself.

"I haven't been very fair to you. You've been so supportive and understanding, and I've just been pulling away from you," she continued.

"Case---" he began.

"I mean, I know it's not any guy's dream to be with a girl who's tainted," she said.

"Hey, whoa," Sam interrupted. He started to put his hand on her arm, and then stopped. She nodded that it was all right and he resumed his action. "You are **not** tainted. Is that what this has been about? You thinkin' that you're dirty?"

"Well, aren't I? I mean, I'm not a virgin anymore, Sam."

"You are to me." She looked at him. "You didn't want to be with Brent. He took something that wasn't his. And I know you: you probably fought like a tigress to get him off." She nodded, still looking down. He took her hand. "Look at me…please?" She did so. "I'm not going to say that the rape hasn't changed this relationship, because it has. It'll probably never be quite the same again. But I'll tell you what will **never** change: I will **always** be here for you." She smiled at him.

"You're going to make me cry again," she joked.

"Besides, I'm the one who needs to apologize," he told her.

"What? Why?" she wondered.

"I should've realized something was wrong. It doesn't take very long for a person to change a shirt and/or put water on something," he answered. And that's what had killed him all these months. That he hadn't even realized that his girlfriend was being raped. Weren't guys supposed to have some sort of sixth sense when it came to the girls that they were in a relationship with? How could he have been so clueless?

"Sam---"

"I should've known. I should've realized. I'm so sorry."

"Sam, it wasn't your fault. You didn't."

"But I---"

"Stop. You've been so sweet and kind. You're the best boyfriend a girl could ask for." She squeezed his hand. "I'll see you later…okay?"

"Okay." She got out of the car and walked into the house. Sam sighed and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Derek watched as Casey walked in.

"Hey. How you holding?" he wondered.

"I'm getting there," she answered.

"Is Sam still out there?"

"Yeah." Derek walked out to the drive and got into Sam's car.

"Hey, bud."

"Hey, man."

"Things between you two any better?"

"We're gettin' there."

"So, what's buggin' ya?" Sam sighed. He should've known Derek would be able to read him.

"I just---I feel like I've failed as a boyfriend. I should've---I should've known something was wrong that night. I mean she just went to her room to change her shirt. How could I have been so stupid?" Sam wondered, running his fingers through his hair.

"Sam, this wasn't your fault. She doesn't blame you," Derek told him.

"I know that but…I just feel like I should've known," Sam sighed.

"Sam, you're doing the best you can here, and to be truthful, Casey couldn't ask for a better boyfriend," Derek stated. Then, "Come on. Let's go in." With a half-smile, Sam cut the engine and then followed his friend inside.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I realize that Sam may be a bit ooc here, but I was trying to put myself in the shoes of a guy who's girlfriend was raped and what they would say to comfort reassure her and how they would feel about it happening under their "watch" so to speak.


	9. Chapter Nine

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. I only own the plot. As I said in the Power Rangers fic, from here on out, the only fics I'll be uploading will be completed.

When they got inside, Edwin was watching t.v.

"Ed, out," Derek commanded.

"But---" Edwin's voice dropped at the glare. "Fine," he sighed and headed upstairs.

"And **don**'**t** bother Casey!" his older brother warned.

"Dude, you didn't have to do that," his friend said.

"I'm his older brother. I'm **supposed** to torture him," came he retort. Sam just rolled his eyes. _Figures. Always gotta be the tough guy_, he thought to himself. But his tough guy act **was** dropping these days…usually when it came to Casey. If it was anybody else, he would've gotten jealous a long time ago, but it was just Derek. He was just being a good brother. Meanwhile, in her room, Casey was flipping through the pages of her textbook. Finally, she slammed it shut with a sigh. She couldn't concentrate. The conversation she had just had with Sam ran through her head. _How can Sam be blaming himself? It wasn't his fault_, she thought to herself. He couldn't have known what was going to happen. So why was he blaming himself? She sighed again and ran her fingers through her hair. She just didn't know what to do. How could she make Sam see that this wasn't his fault? She heard footsteps in the hall and turned towards the sound. She inhaled and exhaled slowly. No one was going to come into her room. When the footsteps continued past her room, she breathed a sigh of relief. Though hearing footsteps near her room didn't always send her into a panic like it did at first, the panic would set in when her emotions were on overdrive. She got up from her desk and walked over other door and opened it. She smiled when she heard Sam's voice downstairs. Sam. He had been so great to her, never pushing, always supporting her. Silently, she walked down the stairs and stopped halfway and sat down, listening to them talk about anything and everything, the t.v. playing in the background. _Man, before all this happened, I never realized what a great guy Derek Venturi was_, she thought to herself. He continued to amaze her. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.

"What are you doing?" Marti wondered, standing next to her.

"Listening to our boys," Casey replied. She motioned for the girl to sit in her lap and she did so. "Just listen to them. They'd do anything for us and will protect us no matter what."

"Yeah, Smerek's the best at chasing away the monsters." Casey laughed softly.

"Yeah, he sure is, isn't he?" Then, she stood up and carried her little sister to the living room.

"Hey Casey," Derek and Sam chorused.

"So, what are you guys watching?" Casey wondered, setting Marti down. The little girl quickly ran to her brother who pulled her into his lap.

"Hockey," came the response. She laughed.

"Of course. I should've known." She walked over to the couch and sat between the two boys.

"We can change the channel," Sam offered.

"No. Leave it. This is normal. This is…right," Casey responded. Then, "Sam, I love you so much. You've been so patient with me…you're the best boyfriend a girl could have. I don't know that I could've made it through this without you. I just want you to know that." He gave her a smile and she took his hand and squeezed it. Then, she turned to her stepbrother. "Derek, what can I say? You've been great. Sitting with me through nightmares, checking up on me…heck, you even switched rooms for me." Derek started to say something, but she interrupted him. "You were willing to shed your tough guy reputation to take care of me, and I appreciate that so much. You're a great brother, and I want to thank you for bearing with me through everything," she finished. Derek's throat muscles constricted. _I didn't really I making such an impact_, he thought to himself.

"Anytime," he told her. Then, she put her arms around them both. Sam couldn't help the grin the came across his face. Her touch felt so good. He had missed her. Instead of shrinking from the contact like he normally would've, Derek actually leaned in to it. It was good to have Casey back. Suddenly, there was a whirring and clicking noise. Confused, the three turned around to see Edwina and Lizzie at the bottom of the stairs, a camera in Edwin's hands.

"This is **definitely** one for the books!" Edwin proclaimed. For a moment, there was silence. Then, Casey started to laugh. Softly at first, but then in grew louder and harder until the rest of the family was laughing. Edwin and Lizzie quickly joined them. Hearing the commotion, George and Nora came out and to their surprise, their children and Sam were on the couch laughing together. The group tried to explain, but couldn't. They were laughing too hard.

THE END


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